Pakistan Telecommunication Corporation Limited (PTCL)
has added another feather to its cap in the form of newly introduced
"Broad Band" facility into its system, which provides fiber
optic transmission network, which not only accelerates the speed but
also reduces communication distortion to the zero level.

For offering the newly introduced technology, the
first priority goes to national and multinational companies operating in
Pakistan, which are categorized as heavy revenue generating subscribers.

The high revenue generating subscribers are including
Oil Marketing Companies, Karachi Stock Exchange, Banking and the
Financial sector, etc.

It is interesting to note that when new digital
telephone exchanges had just installed in country a basic demand and
requirement of fiber optic network and a strong recommendation was
rejected.

Now gradually, the same network would be extended to
all of the PTCL subscribers. "The PTCL has taken that decision to
provide fiber optic system to commercial and industrial subscribers on
the pressure of multinational companies operating in Pakistan" a
senior PTCL officer said on the condition of unanimity. He said that
this step could have taken years ago as it was just a matter of labor
work but the delay seems to be as mysterious.

The fiber optic network when comes to interconnected
with major cities than subscribers would have a magic like telephone
services another engineer said. He said that on top of priorities are
business centers and major business officers of the city.

It is learnt that work for master plan for fiber
optic network for Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad and other major cities is
underway, not only by the PTCL but for other private phone companies
also, according to which fiber optic network would be established for
subscribers is going to be the ultimate need in Pakistan for a reliable
phone service.

Officers said, field was and is still opened for
profit running company but there is no positive decision to take full
advantages and benefits for government-run Communication Company. He
said that there is huge open market with large number of subscribers,
there is system, there is labor force in our country and there is world
class talent but mysteriously there is no any decision for the
development and improvement of the PTCL which is the one of the major
revenue generating organization.

The federal minister for communication faced sharp
criticism in Karachi Stock Exchange for a mysterious and poor PTCL
services and an emphasis on PTCL privatization. However, the minister as
usual assured the businessmen and their leaders for improving the
services but as usual assurance remained just an assurance. There is
also a great demand of extending inter-exchange capacity, which provides
batter service for complaint system and inquiry system. The both most
important departments remained unattended despite the fact that PTCL now
has a world-class telephone exchange system, but that is in the clutches
of inefficient and corrupt staff and some officers.

The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA)
chairman Major General (R) Shahzada Alam Malik also warned the Pakistan
Telecommunication Company Limited (PTCL) to improve its faltering
services last week. Malik said the PTA would soon publish a report of a
survey it conducted throughout the country to review the PTCL
performance. He said that the PTA had conducted the survey after
receiving complaints about the poor PTCL service. He said that the
authority had directed senior PTCL officials to improve in light of the
survey report. He said the survey report would be released to the press
in September. But senior PTCL officer said in Karachi that the chairman
should come Karachi and listen to the serious problems for which major
decisions are pending for long. They said that it is very easy to
conduct a survey and release but it is difficult to operate in such
situation where some major decisions are pending.

However, the PTA planned to start the regularization
of Internet Services Providers (ISPs) throughout the country. A summary
in this regard has been sent to the ministry. Cell phone tariffs would
decrease when the two new companies who received licences would become
operational.

PTA had generated Rs 14 billions by issuing wireless
local loop (WLL) licences. In fact Indian company had been awarded a WWL
license. Frequencies have been sold to private companies after approval
from security agencies. PTCL had faced a loss of Rs 48 billion when it
reduced line rent. Phone tariff would decrease with the entry of new
companies in the fixed phone market.

PTA was focusing on the mobile phone industry because
60 percent of people had no access to the service. The PTA chairman said
in Lahore last week that Paktel and Insta Phone would have to sign the
same terms and conditions that were given to the new companies when
their licences expired in eight months. He said that they had issued a
universal tariff for all public call offices and a team was raiding the
call offices to check if they were overcharging. But even on the
repeated questions from journalists about restructuring a fault
management system and some major decisions, which can bring radical
change in the revenue, he just replied in words that "We know that,
and work is on."